After threats of boycott if Israel participates in Eurovision, management says it respects broadcasters' decisions
By The New Obs with AFP
During the Eurovision semi-final in Basel on May 14, 2025. FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
Each Eurovision member can freely choose whether or not to compete and their decision will be respected, its director assured on Friday, September 12, following threats of a boycott if Israel participates in the next edition of the most watched TV talent show in the world.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announced Friday that it plans to boycott the song contest due to the war in Gaza, adding to a list of countries threatening to withdraw from next year's competition, scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, the country that won this year.
On Thursday, seven-time Eurovision winner Ireland announced its intention not to compete alongside Israel . In May, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be excluded from the competition in the future.
Also read
Israel's participation, exclusion of a candidate... Before the final this Saturday, Eurovision caught up in the war in Gaza
"We understand the concerns and opinions (...) regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East," competition director Martin Green told AFP.
Recommendations to be shared soon"Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm their participation in next year's edition in Vienna. It is up to each member to decide whether they wish to participate in the competition and we will respect any decision made by broadcasters," he added.
The competition is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world's leading alliance of public service media, founded in 1950, in cooperation with its members in more than 35 countries.
Also read
Rejected songs, boycott threats... How the war between Israel and Hamas made its way to Eurovision
